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TILE ANDMETHOD OP MAKING No. 664,664. Pan-611666.11166., 261666,

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THOMAS POLIVKA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MOSAIC BRICK AND TILE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TILE AND METHOD O-F MAKINGVSAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,664, dated February 26, 1895.

1lb a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS POLIVKA, a great pressure and lnallybaked.V This backsubject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, ing material, as will be understood, is coarse,

residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and consequentlythe particles thereof do not 5 and State of Illinois, have invented certain sink freely and intimately into the vacant '55 newand usefulImprovements in Ornamental spaces or interstices between the blocks or Tiles and other Like Articles and the Method sections constituting the ornamental face of of Making the Same, of which the following the tile, and therefore when the tile is subis a full, clear, and exact specification. jected to pressure, the said spaces close up,

ro My invention relates to that class of ornathe Walls of the sections or blocks meet, ih 6o mental tiles and the method of producing the other words, and the blocks orsections are same, whose ornamental surfaces are comconsequently distorted and their outlines renposed of individual blocks, sections or figdered more or less ragged or irregular andinures,contrastingwith one another, and formdistinct, and they grow more so as the sur- [5 inga design or configuration. In the proface wears away until the symmetry of the 65 duction of ornamental surfaces of tiles of' this pattern is finally destroyed. description, it is common in the art to em- My invention is designed to overcome these ploy skeleton frames composed of differentv evils, and it has for its primary object to prestrips or sheets,usuallyof metal, set on edge, vent the distortion of the individual blocks 2o and bent to form the division lines between or'sections when subjected to pressure. '7o

the various blocks or figures of the ornamen- A further object of my invention is to pro tal surface. rIhis skeleton frame is placed vide the spaces or interstices between the upon the bottom of a mold box or other like blocks or sections with a filling which shall t device havingasmooth,levelsurface, or other be co-eXtensive in depth with such sections surface corresponding to the surface of the and Will wear away evenly therewith. 75 tile or article to be produced, and the com- With these ends in view, myinvention cornpartments or cells of the frame formed by the sists in certain features of novelty hereinaf- "strips are then filled with clay, composition, ter more fully described With reference to the or other material,usuallyinadry,powdered orv accompanying drawings, and particularly 3o comminuted state, and of the desired shades pointed out in the claims. 8o or colors for the production of the design or In the said drawings, which illustrate my ornamental face of the tile to be produced. improvements, and also Vthe prior method, After each compartment has been filled to Figure lv is a plan View of a portion of the the requisite depth with materialof the proper skeleton frame ordinarily employed, the ma- Vshade or color, the mold box is agitated or terial and mold box beingomitted. Fig. 2 is 85 shaken, for the purpose of causing the matea corresponding portion of the same design, rial in each cell or compartment t0 settle illustrating myimproved tile whenmanufac- Y evenly therein. The frameis then withdrawn tured according to my invention. Fig. 3 is a lfrom the box, leaving the material formerly transverse section of a portion of the comcontained in the various cells or compartpleted tile, manufactured according to my in- 9o ments standing in the form of little blocks or vention. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the sections, with vacant spaces or interstices bemold box and skeleton frame showing some tween them, such spaces or interstices of' ot' the compartments or cells of' the frame parcourse beingin the form of the skeleton frame tially filled with the material or composition by which they are produced. Heretof'ore, at of which the ornamental face is composed. 95

' this stage of the process, it was customary to Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a porfill in on top of the blocks or sections so tion of the mold box illustrating the tile 4when formed, a quantity of fire clay or tile clay, or manufactured according to the prior method, some lother suitable substance, sufficient to just before it is subjected to pressure; and Fig. 6 is asimilar View of the same after it Ico Application filed August 27, 15.892. Serial No. 444,270.. (N specimens.)

constitute the backing, or body of the tile or brick, after which the whole is subjected to is compressed and completed, showing the effeet of the pressure on the individual blocks or sections of the ornamental surface.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a mold box A, in which is placed the skeleton frame, B, made up of a number of strips standing on edge and being variously arranged, as shown in Fig. i, forming cells or compartments, C, into which latter the pulverized or comminuted material which is to form the ornamental surface of the tile is placed, all in the ordinary manner, as before explained.

`.After the cells or compartments C have been filled to the proper depth with the ornamental facing material, and such material caused to settle evenly in each compartment, as before explained, the skeleton frame B is carefully withdrawn from the box, leaving the facing material standing in separate blocks or sections, D, with narrow spaces orinterstices E, between them, as shown in Fig. 5, it being of course understood that the cells or compartments C are only filled to a depth of from one-sixteenth (6) to one-quarter (i) of an inch. Now according to the prior method, after the skeleton frame has been withdrawn the course backing material 'F which forms the back or body of the tile or brick, is poured in on top of the sections D as shown in Fig. 5, and the whole is then subjected to pressure. The particles of the backing material F being very coarse, as usual, do not readily settle into the spaces or interstices E, and when subjected to pressure, there being nothing to support the walls of the blocks D, the blocks are distorted, and their walls are broken down and crowded together, or caused to meet as shown in Fig. 6, the backing material along the interstices sinking slightly downward as shown atf.

lVith a tile thus constructed, it will be readily understood that as the ornamental surface composed of the blocks or sections D, Wears away, such blocks will lose their symmetry, by reason of the distortion resulting from the pressure, and when the wear has proceeded far enough to cut through the portions f, such portions will of course appear in the face of the tile, and greatly add to its disfigurement. in order to avoid this, and to provide each block with a distinct and clear cut outline, fill the interstices E as soon as the frame is withdrawn, and before the backing material is put on, with a very finely pulverized substance, consisting of the same or equivalent material as Lthe blocks themselves are composed of, but which may be of a contrasting shade or color. This filling, G, is carefully dusted into the interstices until the latter are completely filled even with the backs of the blocks or sections D, thus supporting the walls of such sections, and virtually converting the whole ornamental surface into one firm mass. After this is accomplished, the backing F may be poured in with impunity, and the whole subjected to any desired degree of pressure without danger of distorting the blocks or sections D or causing the backing to irregularly sink into the ornamental facing.

When a tile thus constructed has been completed by the ordinary baking process, the surface thereof will be in close simulation of the species known as mosaic. The filling G between the sections will wear away equally with such sections, and as such filling is coextensive in depth with the ornamental surface itself, it follows that the design will retain its identity, and the outlines of the sections and figures will remain sharp and clear cut as long as any of the ornamental surface is left on the backing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The method of making ornamental tiles, dre., which consists of forming a number of blocks or ornamental figures, with spaces or interstices between them, of the material from which the tile is constructed, then filling such entrances with a similar material, then placing a backing over the whole, and finally subjecting the mass to pressure and solidifying it, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of making ornamental tiles, dac., which consists in forming a number of blocks or ornamental figures with spaces or interstices between them from the material of IOO which the surface of the tile is to be constructed, filling such entrances with a suitable dust or powder, then placing a backing over the whole, and finally subjecting the mass to pressure and solidifying it, substantially as set forth.

3. The method of making ornamental tiles, dre., which consists in forming a number of blocks or ornamental figures with spaces or interstices between them from the comminuted or pulverized substance of which the surface of the tile is to be constructed, filling such interstices with powdered material of a contrasting color, then placing abacking over the whole and subjecting thevmass to pressnre and solidifying it, substantially as set forth.

4. As a new and useful article of manufacture, a tile or brick having an ornamental surface consisting of a number of blocks or sections having rectilinear sides or walls, a filling between such blocks or sections composed of the same or equivalent material as the blocks themselves forming with the blocks a solid vitrified mass coextensive in depth with the said blocks, and a suitable backing extending over the whole to form one hardened mass, substantially as set forth.

'THOMAS POLIVKA.

Witnesses:

F. A. HoPKtNs, R. C. OMoHUNDRo.

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